the future of Hollywood and beyond. Revisioning entertainment, info-tainment and edu-tainment for the 21st century by author and keynote speaker Joyce Schwarz,media futurist, joyceschwarz@gmail.com www.jcombusinessdevelopment.com

May 03, 2009

What if you could turn your book or short stories into a movie? YES, even non-fiction. Well the good news is that 38 of my clients have done just that. They've gotten what's called options on their books for potential Hollywood movies, games or videos! SOUND IMPOSSIBLE it's not.

Author & Hollywood new company/product launch strategist Joyce Schwarz (pictured on the right of Tom Cruise in upper corner of this photo) has introduced more than 75 venture funded companies to the NEW HOLLYWOOD marketplace. Want to sell your project? Check out the famous STAR*COURSE!

For more than 10 yeasr I taught a similar class called STAR*COURSE at Learning Annex and at my office theatre at 953 North Highland in Hollywood. Now for the first time ever, you can see a video preview of that class -- and it's a fun one too.See Star*course video

A picture from an early STAR*COURSE workshop on how to sell your project to the NEW HOLLYWOOD conducted by author & emerging entertainment strategist Joyce Schwarz

Meanwhile take a look at these pictures from and about the class. ENJOY. For more info on this class and others including being a CERTIFIED VISION BOARD COUNSELOR (May sold out in 2 hours) go to: www.visionboard.info or email: joyceschwarz@gmail.com

March 23, 2009

By Joyce Schwarz, Hollywood2020.net covering the new media industry with more than 300 articles & 6 books since 1990.

I spent about 45 minutes looking at the agenda and looking up bios on speakers at the OMMA conference sponsored by Media Post in Hollywood Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Cory Treffiletti, President/ Managing Director, Catalyst:SF who has been on several of my panels @ Digital Hollywood is the emcee for his conference. Media Post the conference organizers call this OMMA Global because it covers several of their peer groups in these categories. You can see more about the event at: OMMA --registration info

Online Media, Marketing & Advertising: My call on it is that OMMA is worth going especially on Tuesday when I see lots of new players who are creating what just may be a new playing field for OMMA which stands for Online Media, Marketing & Advertising. Because of course it's not just online now that matters -- it's beyond the box or with the new boxes that are coming this year that will create the next-generation of Broadband and Internet video distribution anywhere, anytime & anyplace. Which is something I've been talking about for 15 years.

Monday -- is a good overview for anyone new to the industry with Comscore, Mahalo and several of the top OMMA agencies speaking.

Tuesday -- looks the most fascinating with some of the new players who are taking media beyond the box -- into mobile & next-gen broadband etc.

Will the upcoming ubiquity of smart phones change your marketing strategy now? ************ (Hollywood2020 note this could be the most interesting of the sessions) Plus there are some panel breakouts in the am and pm too.

Steve Smith, Columnist, MediaPost’s Mobile Insider

Panelists

Dan Flanegan, BrandInHand

Ujjal Kohli, CEO, Rhythm Media

Webster Lewin, SVP, Director of Digital Innovation and Strategy, MS&L

Walter Schild, CEO, Genex

Jeremy Wright, Global Director, Mobile Brand Strategy, Nokia

Hollywood2020 will be reporting back with additional info from Tuesday's sessions. If you attended today (Monday, email me at joyceschwarz (at) gmail.com with your comments. THANKS!

YouTube Insight: UnderwhelmingConde Nast Portfolio, NY -21 minutes agoGoogle's YouTube announced a tool, called YouTube Insight, but it doesn't seem all that great. The company says it can "give a lot of context around the ...

YouTube to Offer Users 'Insight'Adweek, NY -32 minutes agoUsing YouTube Insight, publishers can analyze the viewing patterns of individual videos far more thoroughly than in the past, when only total views and

So I was just surfing over at Youtube.com looking at some videos about art & DaVinci (as research for my upcoming book) and then I checked the Youtube.com blog and guess what -- I was right on time to see the info about the new Youtube.com video analytics tool launch, blogged by Joyce Schwarz.

It's called Insight-- here's the complete memo that Youtube.com has posted on it's blog (scroll down below the headlines) And of course some links to headlines that go more indepth on the value of this new method js.

YouTube Reveals Video Analytics Tool for All Users (from the youtube.com blog as of March 26, 2008) js

Whether a YouTube video has 10 views or 10,000,000, people always want to know the same thing: who's watching this? Where do viewers come from? How did they find my video?

Finally, we have some answers. Today we're releasing YouTube Insight, a free tool that enables anyone with a YouTube account to view detailed statistics about the videos that they upload to the site. For example, uploaders can see how often their videos are viewed in different geographic regions, as well as how popular they are relative to all videos in that market over a given period of time. You can also delve deeper into the lifecycle of your videos, like how long it takes for a video to become popular, and what happens to video views as popularity peaks.

How does this help you? Well, using these metrics, you can increase your videos' view counts and improve your popularity on the site. For instance, you might learn that your videos are most popular on Wednesdays, that you have a huge following in Spain, or that new videos that play off previous content become more popular more quickly. With this information, you can concentrate on creating compelling new content that appeals to your target audiences, and post these videos on days you know these viewers are on the site. (Maybe even post your next video in Spanish?) And for those of you who are also partners, the more popular a video is, the more advertising revenue it can generate.

We'll be making new features and additional information available fairly quickly -- like a specific breakdown of how viewers discovered the video -- so keep an eye out as we roll out new features. As for now, you can find currently available metrics by clicking under the "About this Video" button under "My account > Videos, Favorites, Playlists > Manage my Videos."

According to the website, coldhardflash.com, JoeCartoon.com, an extremely popular Flash-animation site that premiered on the web in 1998, has been sold to Endemol USA, the company behind Deal of No Deal. JoeCartoon hit it big in 1999 with Frog in a Blender, and Joe Shields, the founder and artist behind the the shorts, has been an active creator ever since.

ENDEMOL UPDATE -- In February, 07 coldhardcash.com had an update which was that Joecartoon's stuff was on the way to make more $ GREEN --"According to Endemol, they plan to "significantly expand JoeCartoon's Web presence and develop specific content packages for mobile operators around the world."

So what was "FROG IN A BLENDER" all about -- well you have to go over and see the original (which appears to have been updated in 2000) at this link:Frog in a Blender

So why was "Frog in a Blender" so popular and why does it still help define the beginning of the user-generated generation of wild & crazy viral videos....?

Frog in a Blender was all about A) Locus of control-- you could control the blender -- not unlike levels in a video game!

Those 'blender' levels ranged from 0 to 10...and along the way the frog croaks back at you until it well....croaks!

Frog in a Blender was icky without being icky...at least at the lower levels of the mix....

Once you saw it you never forgot it. Okay maybe you wanted to -- but you didn't.

Just the name of the animation alone -- FROG IN A BLENDER -- wow!

Frog in a Blender...www.joecartoon.com has become a classic -- and now Joecartoon.com's stuff will be on mobile!.

Endemol (Euronext: EML) is a television production company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemol - 45k - Cached - Similar pages

July 12, 2007

Okay...I admit it...I've caught video-mania....the more videos I create...the more my pals love them...the more fun I have...and somehow I seem to be able to justify that expensive grad school in film tuition I paid for USC's Cinema Masters degree, by Joyce Schwarz, blogging at www.hollywood2020.blogs.com.

It's like eating peanuts..once you try one..just one more-- they're little..and they don't have any calories do they?

June 10, 2007

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ran a story earlier this month on how to be a star in a Youtube world, blogged by Joyce Schwarz, www.hollywood2020.blogs.com. So because I used to teach a workshop called STAR*COURSE, I couldn't resist taking a glance. Here's a link and a quick summary and of course, I add my own thoughts!

Wall Street Jounal offers tips on how to be a star in the YOUTUBE world...fascinating stuff...see below:

Here is a recap of their tips:

BE CONSISTENT...and the Journal article goes on to mention ROCKETBOOM--three-minute news programs five days a week since October 2004 Grammar Girl," a popular podcast about proper language usage, gets an update every Thursday like clockwork

WORK YOUR NETWORK -- aha surprise-- you need to send out emails and promos so that people come over to your Youtube video. Hmmm I think the question may be similar to ones that ask how many x does it take to screw in a light bulb. There's probably a million ways to get attention on Youtube.com and starting with a crew of busy interns or volunteer college kids who do nothing but watch your video all day and night - is probably a favorite!

ACT LIKE A PRO -- quality does matter on viral video....but so does the innovation and freshness that an amateur can bring to the new tube.

BEAUTY SELLS -- so did you know the librarian video from the Midwest has 100,000 viewers-- Journal doen't mention it - -but I thought i would. Isn't that one of the all-time porn fantasies -- take off those glasses and that superlibrarian cape...and oh....save the librarian, not just the cheerleader and you save the world?

December 29, 2006

20/20 -- the show not our blog...www.hollywood2020.blogs.com is talking live as we blog about "going viral"....how forwarding to a friend and a friend of a friend can go viral by Joyce Schwarz, blogging at Hollywood2020.blogs.com.

They are talking about the URBAN NINJA who parlayed his highlight reel into exposure to get a job as a stunt man.....

This allows anybody to come up with anything and given them a network...before this there were 40 or 50 guys in Hollywood and New York....forget Hollywood & Vine...20/20 says...

Trailwood and Whispering Oaks is the site of David Lair's parody of myspace:the movie....'the angles'...shot of her face, shot of her butt...every kid got it...myspace the movie had a million hits 2 days after hitting Youtube.com...President of Fox brings him to the studio...asks him what he wants ""I want my own TV Studio"...and he says yes...it happens every day....Lair shot the pilot himself...in Michigan and if it doesn't end up on Network TV no problem....TV is dying...too many suits basically....500 channels and nothing to watch....set out to do something completely different.

MADISON AVENUE is scrambling to get a piece of its (viral) action....ad for BMW -- kids opening present at XMAS....NIKE viral ads...new Nike ad...featuring treadmill ....borrowed from a fan....

INTERNET sensations....trying to do the same thing bigger and weirder...do it on a treadmill and...off on another viral rocket ride....video nominated for a grammy...and their live performance on a treadmill-- highlight of the MTV awards..."we know we will be known as the crazy dance guys".....

Internet is totally the WILD WEST hmmm so I look up 20/20 on YOUTUBE.com -- and here's what I get??? zilch...just some old video....

December 21, 2006

SPIN SANTA AROUND THE NORTH POLE in this delightful viral video animation from Pinderoons....by Joyce Schwarz, blogging at www.hollywood2020.blogs.com.... it's an amazing little video-- clever, personalized very rewarding...maybe you've seen it -- we hadn't and when a pal of ours originally from the UK sent it to us today...we didn't have time to play it...BUT we sure have played it several times since.

.we have an email into Andy Pinder who appears to be one of the creators of this amazing viral video...we'll let you know when we hear from him !

UPDATE -12/22/06- we heard from Andy Pinder via email from the UK-- he says he IS PINDERTOONS...it's his gig -- and no he's not the one who works at that alphabet big corporate company...He gave us some other kewl stuff to look at but we can't share that :( -- Thanks Andy-- we loved SANTA>>>>>>>

December 18, 2006

Fascinating story in TV WEEK by Daisey Whitney this week...called Reputation Rehab....and subtitled Bowling to Advertisers. Sites Abstain from Sex....blogged by Joyce Schwarz, Hollywood2020.blogs.com. Whitney's opening line is one of the great stunners to many who are not insiders in the video sharing, viral video biz...."Video-sharing Web sites are trying to wean themselves from the oldest profession on the Internet.".....hmmm brings us back to the beginning of the Internet online when we gave a speech about R.O.I. in Paris, France and included the info on how many of the websites of that early era 1995-1996-1997 ....all used s-e-x as a main ingredient in their marketing mix. Many ETBs (early true believers) in the Internet online know that one of AOL's earliest draws was its sex chat rooms....in fact I've heard reference to AOL: The House that Sex Built used several times.....PS TV WEEK...really nice to get your "first look alerts" and be able to see your site without registrations and memberships and subscriptions...especially when you're a blogger. Not so with other Hollywood trades who demand subscriptions and won't let journalists in to even look at articles they would like to praise to their own readers....Take a hint other Hollywood trades PLEASE.......

December 06, 2006

WOW can you imagine calling Santa on the phone and actually getting to see him on the screen...enter the power of the videophone and some companies who are reaching out across the miles and around the world in some cases....by Joyce Schwarz blogging at Hollywood2020.blogs.com.....

Here's a pix of the 8x8, Inc. Packet8 videophone

that's being used by some kids in hospitals to call Santa

directly-- that's him on the screen!

Now in its 3rd year, Packet 8's "Videophone Visits with Santa" helps kids who are in the hospital during holidays to see and chat with Santa directly...via the Packet8 VideoPhone service that connects to Santa's "North Pole" workshop at the firm's headquarters Santa Clara, CA. According to the PR gal we talked to at 8 x 8 Inc. (and yes, that is the company's name -- and its website is...http://www.packet8.net ) the phone is sent to the hospitals and placed either in the child's room or in a community area...and the event is followed with gifts that have been requested.

It's a kewl promo -- people at 8 x 8 hire a professional Santa (shhhhh) no stuffing the CEO or PR flack into a red suit!. "We are, once again, pleased to provide children who cannot sit on Santa's lap this holiday season with the chance to visit with him remotely over our Packet8 VideoPhone services," said 8x8 Chairman and CEO Bryan Martin." Martin adds: "The fact that these children can actually see and interact with Santa, rather than just speak with him, makes a huge difference in the quality of their phone session with him. We also learned that 8 x 8 Inc will be rolling out some new styles at Showstoppers at CES...we'll check them out there...more on Santa & phones....8x8, Inc. Continues Its 'Videophone Visits with Santa' Tradition ...

and the .....CISCO SANTA CONNECTION

Cisco is calling their program that they say is also in the third year-- the Cisco Santa Connection...they've got some video on their site..kind of wild to type in Santa on the Cisco site and have something actually come up :) hmm wonder if it's on www.youtube.com too...no time to check -- but you readers can of course....http://newsroom.cisco.com/video/santa_hitech.html Looks like Cisco added a big screen...don't know if their Santa is a pro or not...

And to add to the holiday spirit-- here's your blogger with Santa Claus a long long time ago..... boy check out that snowsuit and the hair is already chopped off...sepia tone is kind of kewl though :)) js.

Here is a sample of the clients that JCOM/Joyce Schwarz provides marketing, business development and corporate positioning. A more complete list is on the www.joycecom.com website or you can email joycecom@aol.com or call Joyce @ 310-822-3119 to get an album of a specific vertical area of expertise including Travel/Tourism, Entertainment, Packaged Goods, Technology, Emerging Tech, Special Events & more.